Bro Hof Slott & The Nordea Masters

This week the European Tour has headed from Wentworth Club to Sweden and the Bro Hof Slott Golf Club on the banks of the glittering Mälaren Lake. The estate, where the course lies, was once the home of royalty in the middle ages (it was known as Brogård at the time).

This is the fourth time in row that the Nordea Masters has taken place on the Stadium Course at the Bro Hof Slott Golf Club 25 miles northwest of Stockholm.

The Nordea Masters started out in life as the Scandinavian Masters back in 1991. That event was won by Colin Montgomerie and, since then, Nick Faldo, Vijay Singh, Lee Westwood, Adam Scott, Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell have been amongst the champions.

The Stadium Course was immediately voted the best in Sweden when it was opened for play.

Golf World’s reputable list of the World’s Top 100 Golf Courses has ranked The Stadium Course at Bro Hof Slott Golf Club No.1 in Sweden, No.2 in Europe and No.54 in the World. So it’s easy to understand why it’s retained the privilege of playing host to the Nordea Masters for the past four years.

So let’s take a look at this Swedish Masterpiece and learn what all the fuss is about…

Even before the course could be thought of as established Sweden’s Golf Digest Magazine made a very bold move by placing Bro Hof Slott Golf Club at the very top of their 2007 biennial Top 50 Swedish Golf Course Rankings – the course had only opened its tees for play on 1st September 2007!

The course can stretch to a staggering 8,045 yards from the back tees!

Since its opening this “lakeside course” is constantly recognised as one of the most beautiful in Europe. The designer responsible for this stroke of genius is one of the most sought after golf course architects of the day – Robert Trent Jones Jnr.

He writes “Everything is big at Bro Hof! The holes are longer, the greens are bigger, the course has more water and the bunkers are larger and well placed. Besides which, the wind is always part of your game. On the dogleg holes you not only have to hit the balls a long way, you also have to get them to stop.

“Mother Earth must have created this area for a golf course. All I had to do was to walk around this beautiful landscape and see where the holes would fit in. There was a large amount of land and a large wallet. If, in spite of everything, there wasn’t enough land, we could get more.”

With two courses that differ greatly in layout and feel, as well as amazing practice facilities and an absolutely stunning clubhouse, Bro Hof Slott is among the very finest golf facilities in Europe.

Almost all golfers who have played Bro Hof will agree to the statement that it is the “best course in Sweden”. Everything from the sparkling Lake Mälaren, which hugs the fairways of the Stadium Course, to the picturesque white hilltop castle, the surroundings of the course are sure to take your breath away.

One of the more remarkable characteristics of The Stadium Course is it length – measuring a staggering 8,045 yards from the back tees, making it one of the longest in the world! But don’t fret, there is a range of tee options to choose from – making the course accessible and enjoyable for all levels of handicap.

The Bro Hof Slott Golf Club also boasts a second layout – The Castle Course. Like the Stadium Course, it was also designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., and even though the two have the same high quality and lush grasses, each has its own distinctive characteristics and charm. The Castle Course has a style similar to that of a Scottish Links – with small and testing bunkers and heavily undulating greens and fairways. The course is also shorter and slightly hillier that The Stadium, with narrower fairways.

The Castle Course was also designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. – opening for play two years later than The Stadium Course in 2009.

If you fancy following in the footsteps of those competing in the Nordea Masters then you’ll be glad to know out friends Your Golf Travel offer a superb range of packages to stay and play in and around Stockholm. Prices start from just £419, so instead of your usual golf holiday to Portugal or Spain why not experience the best that Sweden has to offer for a change.